Edge of the Empire: Soldier's Path

"Brace yourself...this is probably going to do more than sting a little," I grimaced, pulling out a box of medical supplies.

"After the pain I've been through?" Kihirursi responded calmly.  "I'm pretty sure I can handle a little medical attention."

"That's what you always think until the pain actually hits," I said as I opened a small bottle.

Kihirursi chuckled.  "And you're an expert on this matte-" 

Her smirking face immediately turned to one of anguish as I began rubbing a small cloth against what remained of her arm.  She didn't scream, but it was pretty obvious that it did not feel good.

"Let's just say I've had quite a few close calls," I said, trying to lighten the pressure at the wound.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated at the current situation.  I'm a soldier for goodness sakes; I aim my gun, shoot, move on to the next fight.  While I had some experience in basic medicine, assisting with the healing process of a lost arm was definitely not my forte. Unfortunately, the other person who sustained a serious injury from our last mission just happened to be our only doctor, so now I was stuck with doing his job.

"Alright," I said, putting all the medicine back in the bag, "that should help prevent the wound from getting infected...at least I think.  I'm really not qualified for this."

"Well, you're not doing too bad," she said, her body starting to relax.  "You did succeed in cleaning the wound."

"Thankfully I have cleaned wounds before.  Hopefully the pain starts to lessen soon."

I stood up and put the supplies in a nearby drawer.  "Well, I'm getting pretty tired, I think I'm gonna get some sleep."

As I turned around, I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I turned around to see Kihirursi giving a rather serious look.

"Is something wrong?" I asked curiously.

"Brenn...there's something that I've been wanting to talk to you about for awhile now," she, releasing my shoulder.

"Hmm?"  

She sat down, still slightly dazed from the massive blood loss that happened a few days ago.  

"There's something you've been hiding from everyone."

I immediately stiffened.  

"What do you mean?"

She began to draw, something she did commonly when something was on her mind.

"For the most part, I try to know a lot about you guys.  I prefer to be well-informed, and I am the leader of the group.  While I don't know everything that you all have been through or done, I know quite a bit about you guys.  I know about your hobbies, what make you tick, that sort of thing."

I crossed my arms.   "And?"

She kept drawing.  "While I'm sure there are many facts I don't know about the work background of everyone, they've all given me thorough responses about what they do, or I've heard about them through other sources."

She stopped drawing and pointed the pencil at me.

"That is, everyone expect you.  You've mentioned that you're a soldier, that you've worked for the rebels, and that you drink horrible alcohol due to your work.  However, you have yet to mention anything about what you actually did or who you actually were.  I have noticed several instances in which others have asked you about it, and you always dodged the question.  You seem rather focused on hiding it."

I stiffened again, but my pose didn't change.  "And why should I tell you?"

She smirked.  "Because I want to know!"

I groaned.  Of course her excuse would be so simple and pointless.  But at the same time, she had a point.  As much as I sometimes regretted it, she was the leader of the team and deserved to know.  I stood silent for a minute as she looked at me with absolute curiosity.  

My pose suddenly relaxed.

"It's not as much that I don't want to tell you as I can't."

Her eyes widened slightly.  "What do you mean?"

I sighed and crossed my arms in thought for a few more minutes.  What should I say?  I didn't want to give too much information, but I didn't want to lie about it either.

"I can tell you this much," I said, relaxing my pose again.  "I was part of a...special military team in the Rebel alliance."

She began drawing again.  "A special military team?"

I nodded.  "We were...a small unit that was sent on recon missions that were considered to be...particularly dangerous."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What kind of recon mission?"

"I already told you."

"No, I mean what did you do specifically?"

"That's classified."

"Who was with you?"

"Also classified."

"Is that how you became so skilled with weaponry?"

"Yes."

"Why did you quit?"

I froze.  I had thought the question might come up, but I still wasn't ready for it.  It hit me like the punch to the stomach...I didn't know what to say.  My face took on a look of anguish, which Kihirursi quickly noticed.

"Brenn, what's wrong?" she asked, looking concerned.

"It's nothing." I said, gathering myself unusually quickly.  

"What?"

"You should get some rest."

Before she could utter another word, I was gone.  

Disgaea 5: Dawn's Sorrow

   Chapter 1: Human Conscience

Centuries ago, there was a circle of Netherworlds known as "The Gate".  The Netherworlds were without any form of order, and chaos spread throughout all of them.  As the population of each planet decreased further and further, it was clear that desperate action was needed. The Netherworlds contacted each other and sent their best warriors to fight in a great battle. The winner of the battle would become the King of the Netheworlds, and rule over all the Netheworlds, and the planet he or she came from would become the capital of the Netherworlds.  The battle went on and on, and though the bodies continued to pile, yet it seemed like none of the planets were stepping down.

An Overlord by the name of Xaelm grew tired of the struggle, and decided to show his superiority by his own means.  Silently retreating to his own planet, he remained just out of orbit, and released his most powerful attack, known simply as Cataclysm.  The blast was so overwhelmingly powerful that not only took a massive chunk out of the planet, but sent it flying towards the center of the circle.  As the remaining warriors stared into the sky in shock, Xaelm teleported in front of the planet, and stopped it right in the middle of The Gate.  
Full of awe and respect, the fight was immediately stopped and Xaelm was declared to be King of the Netherworlds.  In a matter of days a new law known as "The Order" was brought to the surrounding Netherworlds, and it wasn't long before meaningless bloodshed was banished from the Netherworlds.  Centuries of peace passed...

Now, in the 13413rd Year of the Order, an event has happened that no one expected.  An Overlord from one of the orbiting planets by the title of Vae Victis led a surprise attack against the Netherworld's Capital.  In a mere matter of minutes he dethroned Gaegis, 10th King of the Netherworlds and proceeded to abolish The Order, making all forms of crime legal once again in the Netherworlds.  Now with no one to stop them and many powerful eyes on the Capital, chaos has once again begun the ensue in the Gate...

_________________________________________________________________________


On a human world by the name of Segunda, strange rumors have begun to traverse. Rumors of strange monsters, magic, and what people were describing as demons.  Fearing the possibilities, Ethan, 3rd Defender of Segunda, decided to investigate the source of these strange rumors.

Ethan, 3rd Defender of Segunda



Ethan is the 3rd Defender of Segunda, the strongest fighter on the planet. He has a strange connection to magic; not only being the only known human being capable of using it, but able to combine the elements of Wind, Ice, and Fire together to create devastating attacks. He also uses a special kind of martial art taught to him by the previous Defender of Segunda to him that focuses on countering opponent's blows.

Due to the recent outbreak of rumors along with pieces of evidence displaying strange creatures with magic, Ethan travels to a deserted forest where the rumors have mentioned in order to find out exactly what's going on.

Alex



Alex is an...unusual sight for certain.  A dragon in the human world is a rare sight indeed, but Alex is a special case.  Despite being strong enough to lift boulders, Alex despises physical labor of almost all forms and generally doesn't like to fight.  He's actually a technician, great with computers and technology as well as a great interest in games and electronic music.  

Being a longtime friend of Ethan, he's considered to be partners with the 3rd Defender of Segunda, and thus travels along with him to check out the rumors...just don't expect him to be on the front lines.

Josh 



Josh is known for his quick movement, great luck, and very annoying personality.  When he's not spinning circles around you, he's making all sorts of obnoxious noises.  He's skilled with a sword and one of the fastest humans around, he's very young and very immature, often getting into all kinds of trouble.

The third member of the Defender's team, Josh is also on the trip, especially eccentric since his older sister is no longer around to judge him.  

Danza, 6th Destroyer of Segunda


Kaizer is the 6th Destroyer of Segunda, biggest villain known to the planet.  He is Ethan's rival and often gets into conflicts with him.  Eccentric, melodramatic, and having one of the greatest evil laughs ever, he's about as close to a villain as you can get.  He uses his own martial arts style, one that focuses completely on offense and utilizing some strange demonic power.

Upon entering the forest, Ethan and party had a confrontation with him.  The battle didn't last long as it was 3 on 1, ending up in Danza's loss.  He quickly retreated, preparing for his next duel.

Top 10 Games I Want To Play

As I'm sure you'd imagine, while I have played tons of games, there are many I haven't played.  However, there are quite a few I have not played that I really wish I had.  Whether due to lack of a system to play it, lack of money, or simply having ignored it, here's the top 10 list of games I wish I could play.

Note: These are not in numerical order.  As you know, I am HORRIBLE with picking favorites.  These are simply the 10 games I want to play the most, their order means nothing.

10. Tale of Two Monkeys



Okay, this one IS kinda cheating as I have actually played this one.   However, the last time I played it was when I was like 8 years old, and I have never owned it.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a game I haven't played for so many years and yet is possibly the biggest nostalgic game for me I know.  I have very faint memories of playing it, but I remember that I adored it and played it all the time (along with Aero the Acrobat 2).  I even downloaded the soundtrack to this game, and just listening to it makes me wish I could play it.

9. Holy War



To add on the list to many games that people wish would be brought to America from Japan, mine would be the Fire Emblem game, Genealogy of the Holy War.

This game is known as being possibly the most unique Fire Emblem game.  It brought many unique elements to the table, some to be used for later, and others to never be used again. What particularly draws me to this game is that it looks like Fire Emblem on a much larger scale.   While there's fewer maps, they are much larger and filled with much more units.

It brings a more realistic war feel and that's what I've always wanted from Fire Emblem. Taking town armies with a small elite team is fun, but I think playing Fire Emblem in a much more war-like setting would make it so much more epic and realistic, sort of like the large battles in Lord of the Rings.

8. The REAL Joker



Final Fantasy 6, fan favorite of the Final Fantasy series.  As most of you know, I have played next to no Final Fantasy games (Crisis Core doesn't really count as a main game), and as much as I want to play 7 due to having played Crisis Core, this is the Final Fantasy game I want to play the most.

Why?  Well, not only have I heard many positive things about this game in particular, it just looks amazing.  The drawings, the actual game art, it looks very atmospheric.  The bits and pieces of music I've heard have been pretty good, and from I've heard the story and characters are great.  Plus the main villain is just creepily awesome.

7. Decisions, Decisions, DECISIONS.



I NEVER thought I'd want to play this.  A game based off of a TV show, and a ZOMBIE tv show to add to the list?  That's got to be horrid!!!!   That's what I thought before I saw a playthrough of it.

The Walking Dead is a strangely unique game, as while I'm sure it's been done before, it's never been done to this extent.  This is a game where you make the majority of the decisions, and they DO effect everything.  Whether or not certain characters die, where you end, what happens, many things are affected by what you say and what you do.

The art style is unique, the music is great, and the writing and characters are excellent.   I almost want to play it just to see how my choices will affect the game, and if a game can hook you on that idea alone, that's impressive.  

It's also incredibly realistic, beyond a few plotholes.  Despite being based off a TV show, you wouldn't have noticed any similarities if it was just it's own game.  There's no nudity, and the amount of gore and swearing is not overdone and all feels right in it's context, and this is me we're talking about.

I honestly would rather play this than the Last of Us, if only because it's not quite as dark and violent.  

6. The Plumber With a Story



If I had one, this game would go on the list of
HOW THE HECK HAVE I NOT PLAYED THIS!!!???

I mean, a colorful and creative, cartoonish and yet detailed, Mario-based, well done RPG? This game just screams BRENNAN.  Heck, most of my friends have played this game, and they aren't exactly large Mario fans!   

The game looks fun and colorful, the visuals are excellent for Super NES, the music's great, and a Mario game that actually has somewhat of a PLOT?   How could a Nintendo gamer not enjoy this classic?  And really, very few haven't!  For some reason I completely bypassed this one, and someday I really hope to remedy that.

5. Umm....You're Not Serious Are You?



Yes, this is no joke.  I WANT to play Sonic 2006, one of the most hated games in all gaming history.

Why?  Well oddly enough, it's because I haven't played it.  I've seen playthroughs of it, and it does look pretty bad.  However, there are many aspects that looks kinda interesting that usually weren't touched on, and I want to see if it really lives up to it's title.  Heck, Shadow the Hedgehog looks worse than this game does to me.  But I can't really say how bad it is because I haven't actually played it, which is why I want to play it.

4. 1,2,3 



As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I like the Disgaea series a lot, so it's no surprise that I'd want to play them all...sadly I haven't been able to play 3-5 due to being on a system I do not own.

However, the one I specifically want to play is Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice.  Why?  Well, for one, it was the last unique Disgaea game to get good reception.  The 4th got bad reception and the 5th I don't want to play due to the game existing purely for nostalgia.

This game has a few classes I want to use, and looks pretty neat.  I dunno if I'd love it any more than 1 or 2, but I still want to play it.

3. The Rabbit With a Plan



I've always loved games with a dreamy feel, usually have peaceful music with creative and strange worlds and characters.  Klonoa is no exception.

This isn't just for a single game, but rather an entire franchise.  I only had Klonoa 2 when I was about 8 years old, and not for very long.  All I remember is that it was unique and fun, and that I loved it as a kid.

Looking at it now, it still looks cool.  It has a unique puzzle/platforming system, that while simple, was fun to play.  Seeing as I'm much older now, these games might be a bit easy, but I still think they'd be fun to play.


2. Space in a Box



As most of you know, I enjoy me some Phantasy Star.  I love it's concept and classes, I love it's stories and character's, and I love it's online game similarities.

This one in particular I'd like to play because one, it's portable.  Phantasy Star 0 did that and it worked, but the PSP has much better graphics and data than the DS, so I think there will be more options in terms of customization and gameplay, as well as better graphics.

Plus, I just want to play another Phantasy Star game.  This one had pretty good reception, so it's got me interested for sure!

1. Xenoblade



Yeah, no unique title this time.  But can you blame me?  It's freaking Xenoblade!  That's an awesome title!

When I first saw this on shelves, I was a little surprised.  A large-scale RPG on the Wii made by a third party developer?   It pretty much came out of nowhere and just showed up.  What surprised me even further is when I found it in the used section months later for $40. 

I have seen no footage of this game, nor played a second of it.  However, from the few things I've read about it, few pictures I've seen, and the fact that a character from this game has made it into the Super Smash Bros WiiU roster says something about the game.  Will I ever play it?  Who knows?  However, I have a feeling that if I obtained it, I certainly wouldn't regret it.

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin, Turnabout Kittens

Turnabout Kittens Investigation Phase 1 (Part 3)

Fuzzycon Booth Room

April 29

7:35 PM

As I had feared, what had awaited me in that room was exactly what I had expected.  Everyone in the room had astonished looks on their faces, looking towards the middle of the room. Lying there was a man who looked about the age of 20, eyes and mouth wide open...lying completely still.

"Nobody touch the body or leave the room!"  I said, taking control of the situation.  "Did anyone call the police?"

"Y-y-yeah," replied one of the girls in the room, her whole form shaking.

"Good," I said, kneeling down next to the body to get a better look.  "What happened?  Someone tell me NOW."

This time a man spoke up, not as shaken as the girl but certainly affected by the situation.  

"I was looking for something to buy for one of my daughters when...that man suddenly fell forwards."

"Did you see anyone near him?" I asked, looking the body over.

"Yes..." he said, pointing at a female at the front of the crowd.  She slowly walked forward, bawling as another female appeared to be comforting her.  A quick glance revealed that they were definitely employees for the event, wearing pink and light blue uniforms with nametag hanging from their neck.

"Names?"  I asked, checking vitals to make sure the man really was dead.  No sound came from the girls.

"NAMES?" I asked more seriously, getting the attention of the girl comforting the other.

"O-oh, u-um...I'm Alina and this is my friend, Marsha." She said, looking as shaken as the rest.

"Relation to the deceased?" 

"Umm...w-we're partners."

So he did work there.  He wore the same uniform as the rest, but had no nametag around his neck, so I wasn't sure.  

"What happened?"

"I-it's just as the one man s-said...we were just talking w-with him, and h-he just...fell...over..." 
Marsha began sobbing louder, and Alina quickly returned to comforting her.  

Hearing police sirens, I quickly brought my attention back to the body.  It didn't appear to be bruised at all, there wasn't any sign of physical injury.  Beyond the missing nametag, nothing seemed out of ordinary...that was, beyond the strange smell.

"Everyone stay back; this is a poisoning!"  I said, standing up.   At first, everyone looked in shock, but then slowly everyone began backing away.  It was just then the door swung open.

"What's going o...Andrew?" resounded from a familiar voice from a familiar body.

"Hey Aaron," I said, greeting him with a nod.

"What are you doi-"

"Now is NOT the time."

"Oh, right." He said, running over to the body.  

Fuzzycon Hallway 1

April 29

8:00 PM

Apparently Jenna had been in one of the panel rooms.  Did she actually leave to find Brea, or just to stay a little bit longer?  Was the entire point of bringing Brea up simply to be a distraction.  Whatever, it's not like it really mattered at this point.  

After a quick talk with Aaron to assure him that I had nothing to do with the poisoning, I left the room and went to search for Jenna.  Now we were sitting outside, waiting for the police to be done with basic investigation.  A few minutes later, Aaron walked out, a depressed look on his face.

"I tell ya, it never gets easier, this whole death thing.  It's so sad to see so much death all the time."  

I nodded in agreement.

"What happened?" Asked a very concerned Jenna.

Aaron adjusted his glasses.  "It looks like a poisoning."

"Poisoned?"

"Yup.  We're not sure what kind of poison they used yet, but we'll find out soon!" 

"It was definitely a slow-acting poison," I said, still trying to get all the facts in my head.

"Huh?" Aaron said, looking questioningly at me.

"From what little I gathered, he was talking with two of his fellow employees when he suddenly fell over.  They would've obviously noticed him taking poison in the middle of the conversation, so my guess is he consumed it beforehand somehow."  

"Oh." 

"So does that mean it was a suicide?"  Jenna asked.

I shook my head.  "I sincerely doubt it."

This time, both Aaron and Jenna looked questioningly at me.  I sighed.  

"Think about it for a second.  If he had purposefully consumed the poison himself..."

Jenna caught on.  "Then he wouldn't have chosen a slow poison!"

I nodded, and then proceeded to straighten my hair point.  "Not only that, but there'd be no reason for him to spend his last remaining time acting like nothing was wrong and going back to work.  It still could have been a suicide, but I sincerely doubt it."

"Ah." Aaron said, ruffling through his hair.   "So why are you guys he-"

"NOW IS NOT THE TIME," I said, my face getting slightly red.  "What can you tell us about the victim we don't already know?"

"Oh yeah!" He said, getting back on track, "the victim was one of the workers here, a 23-year old man by the name of Maximilian Croft.  He-"

"Wait, MAXIMILIAN CROFT!?" Jenna shouted.

"Y-yeah..." Aaron said, both of us giving her a puzzling look. "You know him?"

"Of COURSE I know him!" she said, looking very upset.  "He's the voice actor of the main hero of Fuzzy Kittens, Astro Kitten!"

"A...Astro Kitten?" both Aaron and I asked simultaneously.

"Yeah!" she said, nodding excitedly.  "He can teleport and fly, and is the fearless leader of the kittens!" 

"Uh...Andrew...why are you-"

"NO."

Suddenly, a policeman broke into the room.  After speaking with him for a few minutes while Jenna continued spazzing about Astro Kitten, Aaron rejoined the conversation.

"Well...it looks like you were right."

I nodded.  "Explain."

"Our forensics team found traces of poison on a letter we found on his desk, as well as the fingerprints of the person who probably killed him."

"Who was that?" Jenna asked, full of curiosity.

"Umm..." he said, trying to remember what had just been told to him.  "I think her name was Alina Sta-"

"ALINA STAR!?" Jenna shouted.

My hair spike immediately drooped.